Airplane



Nov. 24, 1931. M. OCONNOR 1,833,258

AIRPLANE Filed Feb. 12. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IYTTSO 0 INVENTOR. Mama/as: 0 'Ca/wvoe,

A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 24, 1931. OCONNOR 1,833,258

AIRPLANE Filed Feb. 12, 1930 5 Shets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Mg 0/7/65 0 Kan/Nae A TTORNEYS.

M. OCONNOR Nov. 24, 1931.

AIRPLANE Fi led Feb 12, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR. Mdwrzcs 0 '(wwvqe, BY z E 6 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 24, 1931- UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE MAURICE o'comroa, or 0mm, camronm, assrenoa or one-num- 'ro um I.

- rmnmr, or SAN nnenorsoo, eamoam AIRPLANE Application filed February 12,1930. Serial No. 427,888.

My invention relates to improvements in airplanes, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an airplane with a tube that extends substantially the entire length of the plane, this tube having propellers mounted therein for forcing air therethrough, this air aiding 111 11fting and guiding the airplane. The tube is enlarged at its forward end so as to receive a greater quantity of air.

A further object of my inventlon is to provide a device of the type described in which the fuselage is suspended from the wings during the flying of the airplane so as to have a slight pivotal action with respect to the transverse rocking of the wings. This permits the wings to rock gently during actual flying conditions without rocking the fuselage. more even movement of the fuselage through the air is the result of such a construction.

The wings of the airplane extend transversely and longitudinally of the device, and they are designed to carry fuel. The wmdows in the device are kept heated by a novel means when desired, the heat preventing the formation of frost.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, portions thereof being shown in section,

Figure 1a is a sectional view of a part of the device,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a top plan view,

Figure 4 shows a portion of the controlling mechanism,

Figure 5 shows a window making use of my improved heating means,

Figure 6 is a section along the line 6-6 of Figure 5, and I Figure 7 shows a wiring diagram. In carrying out my invention I provide an airplanewhich comprises a fuselage 1 and a tube 2, this tube being mounted on top of the fuselage and extending substantially throughout its entire length. The front of the tube is enlarged as at 3 for forming a funnel.

Figure 1 shows a number of rods 4 extending through the tube for supporting it and the fuselage, and shows the tops of these rods as being pivotally carried by a horizontally disposed rod 5 that extends from the front to the rear of the airplane. Figure 1a shows an enlarged detail View of one of the rods 4' and illustrates how this rod passes through the tube 2. Gaskets 6 are placed on the rod. 4 and are disposed above and below the wall of the tube. These gasketsare held in place by nuts 7 or other suitable fastening means. The purpose of the gaskets is to deaaen any sound being transmitted from the rod ,4 to the tube 2.

Figure 1 further shows the rod 5 as'being secured to a longitudinally-extending wing 8 by means of eyelets 9 or other suitable fastening means. The bottom of the wing 8 is reinforced by a member 10, and the eyelets 9 are suspended from this member. It will be seen from this construction that the fuselage and tube may be swung laterally with respect to the wing 8 and still be supported by the wing during actual flight. This causes a gravity control to be applied to the fuselage and prevents the rocking of the fuselage during normal flight which is now the case where the fuselage is rigidly attached to the wings.

, The wing 8 is hollow and forms a compartment 11 for receiving fuel. The wing 8 also has a second compartment 12 for fuel. Laterally-extending wings 13 and 14 shown in Figure 3 are also hollow and constitute fuel carrying compartments 15 and 16 respectively. The wings l3 and 14 are provided with the usual ailerons 17.

In Figure 2 I show the wings 13 and 14 as being connected to each other by cables 18 and 19. These cables are secured to the wings by angle irons 20 and 21 respectively or other as suitable fastening means, and the other ends of the cables are connected to a piston 22 that is slidably mounted in a cylinder 23. The

cables are passed over idler pulleys 24 and 25, .109

by turn bu and the len s of the cables may be governed es26and27.

During actual flying, the piston 22 is free to move in the cglmder 23 within predetermined limits, an and 14 to rock laterally through small arcs during actual flying, while the fuselage 1 will remain suspen ed far more leasant journey is the result of this pivoting he porting wings. I

In landing, a spring-pressed plunger 28 (see Figure 4) may be released and this plun r will enter a recess 29 in the piston 22 whicfi will lock the piston against movement and will hold the wings in the position shown flanges 31 may come into contact with the cyl- I inder 23 and will cause the fuselage to swing with the wings 13 and 14 during any further banking movement.

Within the tube 2 I mount a number of engines indicated generally at 32. Each engine drives one or more propellers 33. Fuel pipes 34 lead from the tanks or compartments 11, 12, 15 and 16 (see Figure l) to the engines 32. In case certain of these fuel pipes break, the entire storage capacity of the airplane will not be drained of its fuel because the other fuel pipes lead to separate tanks. The power plants are so designed as to keep the airplane aloft even though only one or two engines are being used.

When all of the engines are used, the air within the tube will be travelling at a speed substantially four hundred miles an hour. This is due to the fact that the large opening in the front of the tube will tend to compressthe air entering it, and this air will flow more rapidly through the reduced portion of the tu I also provide a novel mufiling means for doing away with unnecessary noise. At the rear of the tube I rovide a number of openings 35 which w -05 air stream issuing from the tube, and prothis permits the wings 13 without rocking due to its pivotal connection with the wing 8. A

tween the fuselage and the sup on the ground.

the airplane in a horizontal plane. The rudders 3! and 38 and the elevators 36 and 38a are controlled by the ilots in the usual manner. In case one of t e sets of rudders 37 or .88 or the elevators 36 and 38a become broken, the other one can be used, and it will eifectively guide the airplane. This is in fact a dual control, either set of rudders and elevators being used. The lower portion of the elevator 38a will come into contact with the air stream emerging from the tube. Doors 39 of the sliding type are disposed in the wall of the tube 2 for ermitting entrance whenv it is desired to chec r the motors.

The airplane will fly inthe-usual manner except that the fuselage and tube will be pivotally suspended along an axis extending from the front of the airplane to the rear thereof. It is estimated that a plane operated with a tube as described will have twice the speed and stability of a plane operated without it, fuel and other conditions being equal. If the front end of the tube is eight feet in diameter and themain body of the tube five feet in diameter, the air compression in the latter will be two and one-half timesas great. Noise is greatly-diminished because the engines are disposed inside of the tube. This, in addition to the o enings 35 which act as silencers, will make t e airplane practically noiseless.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 I show a window 39 which-is shown generally in Figure 1. The window 39 is hinged at 40 and has a glass 41 with an embedded resistance wire 42. When the window is "closed, the wire 42 may be connected tov a source of current 43 by a rheostat 44. The rheostat may be adjusted for gradually heating the wire so the wire in turn will warm the glass without cracking it. The warm glass will melt any snow or frost on its outer surface, and a squeegee 45 may be used for wipin the surface clear. If it is desired'to have a c ear vision throu h a portion of the glass, thewire 42 may 0 arranged in the manner shown in Figure 5 for providing this clear portion. It is obvious that a resistance wire 42 may be placed in all of the other lass windows in the airplane for keeping t emclear of frost.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood thatthe same issusceptible of various changes and- I' reserve the right to employ such 0 anges as may come within-the sco e of the'invention as claimed.

claim: v 1. In an airplane, a longitudinall extendin wing, a'tube disposed beneat and paralle with the wing, and control. rudders mountedin the tube and on top of the wing.

2. An airplane comprising supporting wings, a tube and fuselage pligotally suspended from saidwings, a cy der carried y the fuselage, a piston slidable in the cyl- 6 inder and being connected to the wings, and

manually controlled means for locking the piston in the cylinder for rigidly connecting the fuselage to the wings.

3. An airplane comprising supporting 10 wings, a tube and fuselage pivotally suspended from said wings, a cylinder carried y the fuselage, a piston slidable in the cylinder and being connected to the wings, means for limiting the movement of the pis- 15 ton relative to the cylinder, and manually controlled means for locking the piston in the cylinder for rigidly connecting the fuselage to the wings. 1

4. An airplane comprising a fusela e, a

2o tube secured alon the top thereof an extending substantia y the entire length of the fuselage, a 'T-shaped supporting wing disposed above the tube with its leg mounted in parallel relation with the tube, means for a5 pivotally suspending the fuselage and tube beneath the wing, and means for propelling the airplane.

MAURICE OCONNOR. 

